The fund is used to provide scholarships and grants to nurses who are pursuing additional nursing-related education.Money donated by the volunteers comes from their Heritage Gift Shop, located in the hospital's main lobby. The volunteers have a long tradition of providing scholarship money and financial assistance to hospital nurses, but during the construction of the hospital's replacement wing, funds raised by the volunteers were applied to construction costs.

Their overall contribution to the building fund was $400,000.

The current nursing shortage and the growing challenge that created for quality health care prompted the volunteers to once again help the Nursing Education Endowment Fund. Their most recent contribution creates two $1,500 scholarships and will also allow LDS Hospital nurses attending local colleges to apply for help with tuition or the purchase of textbooks.

"Supporting the fund is a very real way of contributing to improved health care for all of us," said Annie Christiansen, chairman of the volunteer's fund-raising efforts.